The present invention relates to a boat stabilizer adapted for use in conjunction with small boats to increase control and to reduce side roll or heeling.
A significant number of boating fatalities each year are caused by boats overturning when they are caught in an unexpected storm or sideswiped by the wake of a large boat passing by. Heeling also contributes to passenger discomfort and reduces the speed and efficiency of the boat. The present invention is designed to prevent or significantly reduce such heeling about the boat's longitudinal axis and thus decrease the probability of capsizing, increase the control of the boat, and aid in passenger comfort.
Attempts have been made to overcome the problem of heeling by use of ballast. This causes the boat to ride lower in the water, thereby increasing water resistance and requiring extra power to propel the boat. Other approaches have been to provide for two or more hulls or the use of outriggers. Although such arrangements provide considerable resistance to heeling, these hulls are fragile and unstable in rough water. Accordingly, such designs have enjoyed only limited application.
Other attempts have been made to increase control and deter lateral drift in boats through the use of stabilizers, fins, and other trolling devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,596,009; 2,858,788; 3,505,968; 3,626,887; 3,633,531; 2,654,336; 3,823,684; and 3,990,384. While several of these patents show stabilizer fins or trolling boards to control boat motion, none has proved effective in holding a boat on course in rough or moving water.